Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Student accused of being a terrorist for reading book on terrorism
Source: The Guardian
Student accused of being a terrorist for reading book on terrorism
Staffordshire University apologises after counter-terrorism student Mohammed
Umar Farooq was questioned under Prevent anti-extremism initiative
Randeep Ramesh and Josh Halliday
Thursday 24 September 2015 10.00 BST
A postgraduate student of counter-terrorism was falsely accused of being a terrorist after an official at Staffordshire University had spotted him reading a textbook entitled Terrorism Studies in the college library.
Mohammed Umar Farooq, who was enrolled in the terrorism, crime and global security master’s programme, told the Guardian that he was questioned about attitudes to homosexuality, Islamic State (Isis) and al-Qaida.
His replies, Farooq said, were largely academic but he stressed his personal opposition to extremist views. However, the conversation in the library was reported by the official to security guards, because it had raised “too many red flags” .
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
The university, based in Stoke-on-Trent, subsequently apologised to Farooq, and admitted that the accusation that he was a potential terrorist had exposed the difficulties in implementing the government’s new anti-radicalisation policy. Groups representing universities and students said the episode represented infringements on academic freedom.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Staffordshire University apologises after counter-terrorism student Mohammed
Umar Farooq was questioned under Prevent anti-extremism initiative
Randeep Ramesh and Josh Halliday
Thursday 24 September 2015 10.00 BST
A postgraduate student of counter-terrorism was falsely accused of being a terrorist after an official at Staffordshire University had spotted him reading a textbook entitled Terrorism Studies in the college library.
Mohammed Umar Farooq, who was enrolled in the terrorism, crime and global security master’s programme, told the Guardian that he was questioned about attitudes to homosexuality, Islamic State (Isis) and al-Qaida.
His replies, Farooq said, were largely academic but he stressed his personal opposition to extremist views. However, the conversation in the library was reported by the official to security guards, because it had raised “too many red flags” .
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
The university, based in Stoke-on-Trent, subsequently apologised to Farooq, and admitted that the accusation that he was a potential terrorist had exposed the difficulties in implementing the government’s new anti-radicalisation policy. Groups representing universities and students said the episode represented infringements on academic freedom.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/24/student-accused-being-terrorist-reading-book-terrorism
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
